Harber London TotePack backpack review: Space miracle for everyday life with small flaws

In addition to laptop sleeves and other small accessories, Harber London also produces backpacks and other bags. If you take a look at the manufacturer’s website, you’ll notice that their high-quality full-leather backpacks cost a few hundred dollars. But there are also cheaper options, such as the TotePack. Its price is still a very pretty penny, but it also offers a good deal.

Design & workmanship

The TotePack is available in three colors: black, mocha (brown tone with black leather elements), and olive (green tone with black leather elements and shown here in the article). “TotePack” is a portmanteau of “tote bag” and “backpack.” The only difference from an ordinary backpack is that there are two leather straps at the top so that you can carry the TotePack like a shopping bag.

Whether this mishmash is so necessary or even revolutionary that it needs its own name is rather questionable, but so is the practical use of the handles. At least in everyday life, I haven’t had the embarrassment of carrying the TotePack by it for any length of time; at most to move it from A to B in my flat when it was in the way. The two handles are most likely to be seen as a design feature.

A large piece of leather is sewn onto the front, which serves as a pocket. It can’t be closed, which is why I was initially worried that it would fill up with water in heavy rain. Fortunately, this didn’t happen, and no water leaked inside. However, I haven’t yet travelled with it in really heavy rain either.

The rest of the TotePack is made from a canvas-like fabric which, according to Harber London, is made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles–in other words, plastic. A rubberized material is used on the underside for greater durability.

Two additional leather straps are sewn vertically onto the back. The lower one is loose and is used to attach the TotePack to the handle of a trolley case. The shoulder straps are relatively thinly padded on the inside, and the metal parts for adjusting the length are made of aluminium and therefore look incredibly high-quality. Overall, the workmanship is first-class and the materials are of high quality.

The main compartment is closed with a metal zip and folded down once, similar to a roll-top backpack. The two handles are buttoned up for safety.

The inside does not really revolutionise the concept of the rucksack. In contrast to sports rucksacks, there is only one large compartment, which is divided into smaller compartments. There is a double compartment on the back for a small and a large device – i.e. iPad and Macbook – the first of which can be closed with a leather strap.

The two compartments have a false bottom, which means that there is still a little space between them and the bottom of the TotePack. If you put TotePack down a little more forcefully, you have a larger crumple zone that better protects your electronics from damage. Next to it is a small slot for a pen (Apple Pencil, etc.) and a short strap on which you can hang your bunch of keys, for example.

There are two more compartments on the left and right, which are intended for bottles, but where I usually keep charging accessories for travelling. There is a fifth compartment on the front, which can be closed with a zip.

The TotePack holds 22 litres. I always find litre figures a bit difficult to comprehend, so I’ll try to rephrase. At one point, I had three days’ worth of clothes, three days’ worth of shopping, a MacBook in a sleeve with charger, an iPad with matching charger, a Nintendo Switch with sleeve, a water bottle, and a small first-aid kit in the TotePac–and still a bit of air.

I’m always amazed at how much space there actually is in this backpack and how little it looks like. Don’t get me wrong: with a size of 54 by 30 by 14 centimetres, the TotePack is by no means small, but it doesn’t look that big. This is mainly because the rucksack is high and wide, but not particularly thick.

But not everything about the TotePack is sunshine and roses. As the walls are only made of fabric, it lacks any stability. When it is empty, you can easily fold it up and even roll it up. This is certainly good for storing it somewhere, but bad for everyday use. For example, if there is only an iPad in the small back compartment, the compartment sags and covers everything underneath. You then need one hand to hold it open, a second to push the iPad out of the way and a third to get something out or put something in. Or you have to get creative in other ways.

Comfort is incredibly important in a backpack, and unfortunately, the TotePack falls a little short in this regard. It is again the problem of stability: if you fill it to the top, the back bulges as it is only made of fabric. As a result, it only rests in the center of the back, which does not result in a particularly ergonomic weight distribution. If you have a MacBook with you, it can provide the necessary stability, but is then exposed to the forces that would otherwise cause the rucksack to bulge. That can’t be the point.

You also have to do without back padding, which is familiar from sports and hiking backpacks and ensures better weight distribution and ventilation on the back. The shoulder straps are lightly padded on the inside, but only lightly. The TotePack is not intended for long hiking tours or other excursions where you carry it on your back for hours on end. Rather, it’s for shopping or commuting to the office–in style. I’ve been using the TotePack in this size for quite a while now, with the odd longer trip, and have rarely had any problems (despite my scoliosis).